Illumine, Vol. 10, No. 1 (2011)
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Item Sentencing circles, clashing worldviews, and the case of Christopher Pauchay(Illumine, 2011) Goldbach, Toby S.The case of Christopher Pauchay demonstrates some of the differences between predominant Euro-Canadian and First Nations approaches to dispute resolution. The principles of sentencing circles sometimes overlap with the principles of restorative justice and suggest their potential incorporation into the criminal justice system. The use of alternative processes that share some common values is not enough to overcome to chasm between Euro-Western and Aboriginal justice. Where underlying worldviews diff er, those who can choose between competing values amidst limited possibilities will likely choose the values that refl ect the conventional system. A comparison of Euro-Western and Aboriginal approaches to crime and punishment clarifi es why Pauchay’s sentencing circle was unsuccessful as an alternative option. Advocates of alternative methods must consider more than the implementation of a process when adapting selective cultural methods to the overarching system. Without further evaluation, alternative dispute resolution (ADR) itself becomes a mechanism of recolonization.Item “Creating an environment so someone can come to Christ”: "Relevant” environments, audio/video technology, and ritual practice(Illumine, 2011) Baker, LaurieThe expansion in the U.S. of a House of Worship (HoW) market has seen the increase in professional audio and video devices use by evangelical denominations and corporate practices of designing, manufacturing and marketing specifi c devices for this niche consumer. This paper explores how HoW personnel are taught to conceptualize the use of professional audio and video devices to create culturally “relevant” worship environments. Amidst vectors of control, mastery, and militarized and nationalist discourses, personnel learn particular dispositions towards device use, and niche products are marketed to HoW users. The tensile nexus of these discourses and their attendant practices converge in performative aspects of ritual.Item Interfaith dialogue theory and Native/non-Native relations(Illumine, 2011) Napier, JonathanInterfaith dialogue allows for an understanding of power relationships, a means of perceiving the Other, and a method of acquiring new knowledge. I will discuss the benefits and limitations of interfaith dialogue theory to Native/non-Native relations. Through interfaith dialogue, benefits such as relationship building and improved understanding provide opportunities to forge new communities within Canadian contexts. However, as is, the framework of interfaith dialogue also surfaces notions that prove problematic if applied directly to Native/non-Native relations. The framework of interfaith dialogue needs to be adjusted in order to be applied successfully in this area. Issues such as diverging worldviews, understandings of religion, misconceptions of the Other, political structures, and power discrepancies will all off er challenges and insights into how one applies aspects of interfaith dialogue. Furthermore, The non-Native community has a responsibility to reach out and change prevailing discrepancies in power structures.Item Notes on contributors(Illumine, 2011) Semmens, Justine; Zielke, Dustin; Baker, Laurie; Purhar, Sonu; Goldbach, Toby S.; Napier, Jonathan; Hunfeld, Christa; Robbins, MargaretItem Ephemeral identity in Eden Robinson’s Monkey Beach(Illumine, 2011) Purhar, SonuEden Robinson’s Monkey Beach addresses issues related to race, historic oppression, and the clash between cultures in a coming-of-age ghost story set in the Haisla community of Kitimaat, British Columbia. Literary scholars have discussed the difficulty of the novel’s heroine, Lisamarie Hill, in reconciling her First Nations and West Coast identities, particularly when she acquires the unique ability to converse with the spirit world; however, the implications of this ability within both her inherited and adopted cultures have largely been ignored. In the context of her Haisla heritage Lisamarie’s powers are shamanistic, imbuing her with great responsibility and control within her band’s society–yet she cannot embrace her gift within the contemporary Eurocentric society that refuses to accept its existence. Though Lisamarie eventually gains control over her powers, the historic and continued oppression of her culture by West Coast society challenges her capability to maintain this connection in the modern world.Item Black Jesus, religious truth, and Tupac Shakur: Belief and the irony of faith(Illumine, 2011) Zielke, DustinTupac Shakur’s black Jesus should be understood through a distinction between belief and faith. The point of this distinction is not merely a matter of semantics. Rather, it helps illustrate how black Jesus challenges us to re-imagine religious truth and recognize the powerful role of irony in religious matters. Religious belief is commonly understood as a belief in a religious reality, or something that is objectively true. Tupac’s black Jesus, however, refers neither to an objective reality, nor a historical black Jesus. Nevertheless, he is a figure of religious devotion. Other scholars have noted the radical nature of Tupac’s black Jesus, but I suggest that they have overlooked, or understated, the unique way that Tupac’s black Jesus re-orients our idea of religious truth. Tupac’s black Jesus encourages religious truth to be understood as something that addresses individuals instead of regarding it as a Truth that is universally prescriptive, or potentially provable.Item Introduction(Illumine, 2011) Semmens, Justine